City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Metropolitan municipality in Gauteng, South Africa
Ekurhuleni is a metropolitan municipality in Gauteng province covering the eastern Witwatersrand area with Germiston as its administrative seat. The region connects several former towns and forms a large urban landscape between Johannesburg and the eastern plains.
The municipality came into being on December 5, 2000, through the merger of nine East Rand towns with the Khayalami Metropolitan Council and the Eastern Gauteng Services Council. This restructuring aimed to unify administration after the end of apartheid and distribute local resources more fairly.
The name comes from the XiTsonga language and means place of peace, reflecting the shift after the political tensions of the early 1990s. Visitors today see a metropolitan area where different communities have grown together and urban life spreads across several former town centers.
The region hosts OR Tambo Airport, the largest air transport hub in Africa, connecting South Africa to international destinations. Visitors find road links to Johannesburg in the west and Pretoria to the north, as well as access to industrial zones and residential neighborhoods.
The local economy relies heavily on manufacturing industries, which account for about a quarter of production, earning the region the nickname Workshop of Africa. Factories and production facilities shape entire neighborhoods and draw workers from many parts of South Africa.
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